GVZ procures e-small tank fire-fighting vehicle
The GVZ Gebäudeversicherung Kanton Zürich wants to test the use of alternatively powered firefighting vehicles in the longer term and has procured a newly developed, purely electrically powered small tank firefighting vehicle (E-KTLF). From the end of June, this will be tested for its operational suitability during a two-year pilot phase at the Andelfingen training center and then integrated into regular training operations.
Advising and supporting Zurich's fire departments in vehicle procurement is one of the GVZ's core tasks. A designated working group analyzes developments around alternative drive options for firefighting vehicles and makes recommendations to the fire departments.
Current analyses show that at low annual mileage (less than 2,000 km), tank firefighting vehicles with electric drive have very few economic and ecological advantages over vehicles with an internal combustion engine, as the GVZ writes. At the Andelfingen training center, where a water tender is in operation practically every day, the sustainability advantages of an electric drive can be exhausted.
Renato Mathys, Head of Fire Services at GVZ, explains: "As a partner of the Zurich fire departments, it is important for us to be able to act as a competent source of information for municipalities and firefighting organizations. With the use of the E-KTLF in daily training operations, we create good conditions for us and the fire departments to intensively test the operational capability of this vehicle in a real environment."
Optimized power and water consumption
According to GVZ, the tender procedure was followed by the award of the contract to Carrosserie Rusterholz AG in Richterswil. The chassis came from Viktor Meili AG in Schübelbach. During vehicle development, the focus was on functionality, performance, safety, operability, agility and lower emissions, according to the statement.
The E-KTLF, the purchase price of which is around 485,000 Swiss francs, offers space for six members of the fire department and is therefore ideally suited for initial operations. With a weight of around 7,500 kilograms and its maneuverability due to its smaller size compared to larger tanker fire engines and the steered rear axle, the vehicle is suitable for both urban areas and rough terrain, it says. The vehicle has two temperature-controlled battery packs of 60 kWh each and is equipped with an onboard charger, permanent all-wheel drive with lockable longitudinal gearbox and engageable all-wheel steering.
The extinguishing water tank holds 1,200 liters. A normal-pressure and a high-pressure extinguishing water pump can be operated independently or in combination, according to GVZ. A novelty is the developed process-controlled demand control of the extinguishing pumps, which causes the pump speed to be automatically reduced to a minimum when no water is being delivered. This significantly optimizes power consumption and greatly reduces noise emissions. As soon as the blast pipe is opened again, the pump speed increases rapidly to the desired pump pressure. The battery capacity is designed so that the pumps can be operated purely electrically and at full load for two hours.
GVZ sees the biggest advantages of the vehicle in water and energy efficiency as well as low noise emissions, which will have a positive impact on firefighters in the field and likewise on residents living near the training center, the building insurer writes. The pilot phase will also show what CO2 savings are possible.
In operation from the end of June
After the presentation of the vehicle at the Suisse Public in Bern (June 6 to 9, 2023) and internal tests by employees of the GVZ Material Support, the E-KTLF will be handed over to the Andelfingen training center at the end of this month, as the media release concludes.
Source: GVZ
